Govt taking steps to provide pulses at reasonable rates: Khare

Within this trade are pulses, which predominates the exports from Myanmar to India, he added.

The government is working towards making pulses available at reasonable prices, in such a way that it positively impacts farmers and gives them confidence to increase acreage and use high-quality seeds for better yield, according to a senior government official.

''I feel that in the next five years, we will be able to make pulses available at very reasonable prices in such a way that it positively impacts our farmers, makes them confident to increase their acreage and also use better seeds for better productivity,'' Additional Secretary (Consumer Affairs) Nidhi Khare said during a webinar on Friday.

The webinar was jointly organised by the India Pulses and Grains Association and the India Myanmar Chamber of Commerce.

She added that rising trend in the pulses prices has actually made the government aware about the gap between demand and supply.

''We made a very bold decision of entering into a stable relationship with farmers over five years in countries growing pulses. This was done by assuring them of a stable market in India. This will also help provide pulses at a moderate price,'' Khare said.

She also stated that when the prices of pulses continued to rise even after harvest, the government took several steps including declaration of stocks.

She said the government has also made it easy for the importers to bring in the agri commodity without any restrictions when the prises rose during the pandemic.

A memorandum of understanding that has been inked between India and Myanmar and India will further bring stability, she added.

Ambassador of India in Myanmar Saurabh Kumar, also present on the occasion, said pulses are important as far as the India-Myanmar relationship is concerned.

''Economic and trade relationship is an integral and important part of this relationship. Within this trade are pulses, which predominates the exports from Myanmar to India,'' he added.